SEASON’S GREETINGS: We wish all our members, supporters, and all readers of these Notes all the best for 2015.
REVIEW OF THE 2014 SEASON: After covering Hurling, Junior Football, Minor Football and U21F over the past two weeks, we finally, in this issue, deal with Senior Football.
SENIOR FOOTBALL: By any standards 2014 has been a roller-coaster year for our Senior Football squad with highs and lows – all the highs on-field and some lows and sadness off-field.
Of the 25 games played we received a walk-over in game one, won 19, drew 4 and lost just one (the Club Championship quarter final against Dingle). So far we have won the Town League, the Co. Championship and the Munster Club Championship and are in the finals of the Co. League and the Town Championship, which have yet to be played.
Shane Carroll was the overall scorer in chief with 2-91 while David Mannix was the top scorer from play (1-36).
David is also among the three players with the most appearances during the year (23 in competitive games), together with Fiachna Mangan and, incredibly, William Kirby who was playing in his 20th season with the Club (made his debut on the 5th March 1995). And of course Darren Tiernan’s recent hat trick of goals (in the Town Championship semi final against Ballymac) has to be mentioned.
Some of our players also had success with the County teams. Greg Horan and Conor Jordan did well on the U21 team while Jack Morgan and Seán Ryan were on Kerry’s All Ireland Minor winning squad .
But what a year-end it turned out to be for Kieran Donaghy. Having played peripheral roles in the two games in Munster and no role at all in the All Ireland quarter final his season really started when he was introduced with 11 minutes remaining in the drawn semi final on 24th August.
He was hardly eight minutes on the pitch when he fed that ball to James O’Donoghue whose goal earned Kerry a replay against Mayo.
Then in the replay and in the final Star himself scored a significant goal in each game to ensure Kerry’s 38th title and his own 4th All Ireland medal and later his 3rd All Star Award. Well done also to Fearghal MacNamara and Shane O’Callaghan who were part of the Kerry Senior Team’s extended squad.
And as the calendar year comes to an end the season continues with those two domestic finals yet to be played and of course an All Ireland Club Championship semi final spot in mid February.
Off the pitch no team in living memory has had to endure such sadness in the space of a few months. In April everyone was shocked, first with Trevor Barrett’s sudden illness and later in the month his untimely death at just 29.
Then in July Team Manager Stephen Stack’s father, Maurice passed away. In September Club Vice Chairman, Liam Lynch’s father, John (himself a former player and Vice Chairman of the Club) died and later that month Ciarán McCabe (the team’s Selector and Fitness Coach) lost his brother, Cormac in a tragic road accident.
In early October Club Chairman, Aidan O’Connor’s mother, Hanna passed away and later that month current footballer, Darragh Long’s baby daughter died. Again our sincere sympathy to all their families and to the families of all who passed away during 2014.
SPECIAL THANKS: Over the past few weeks we have conveyed our thanks to many associated with our successful season.
We continue this week to thank all our local neighbouring Clubs – John Mitchels, Na Gaeil and Kerins O’Rahillys for the provision of their facilities for training sessions, warm-ups etc; Terry Healy and Lorraine Scanlon for the long hours spent selling Club Merchandise coming up to all the matches; to John Collins, Kevin O’Carroll and everyone else who helped with street decorations etc and of course to John O’Callaghan and his colourful bus.
To Ian, Tara, Darren and all the staff who have served on the very busy nights in the Bar after our return from all the victories. And lately to the many senior players and all others who have helped with the Bar Packing over the Christmas period.
Finally thanks to three special people who continue to promote the Club. Brian Caball who does more than just the Juvenile Notes, agus go mion minic as Gaeilge, Adrienne McLoughlin who will be there to photograph everything that moves and doesn’t move on and off the pitch and Elma Nix who is the administrator of the best and most up to-date GAA Website around.
And of course there are others who do a lot of seen and unseen work during the year, like our Field Committee (Noel O’Connell, John Breen and Denis O’Connor) and all those who look after and sell tickets for our weekly Lotto, and all the other fundraising events spearheaded by people like Liam Lynch, Morgan O’Connell, Michael Kenny, Bernie Mannix, Siobhán Naughton and Mary McQuinn. To all those and to the many more who have helped in any way thank you so much.
BINGO: continues on this and every Saturday night commencing at 8.30pm.
CLUBHOUSE: As always the Clubhouse is available for all types of Parties. Phone Ian from 7pm at 066 7126942 for bookings.
CARDS: The 45 Card Sessions continue in the Clubhouse every Monday and Thursday nights commencing at 9.30pm.
All at the Cards offer sincere sympathy to Mary O’Mahony on the death of her husband, Seamus (see Sympathy),
LOTTO: Last Monday’s (22nd Dec) Jackpot worth €5,000 was not won. The numbers drawn were 8, 23, 24, 25.
The €20 Prizes went to Kitty Healy, c/o Charlie Healy; Fionn O’Regan, c/o Brendan O’Regan; and Gráinne Herbert, Mary Egan and Denny Long, all c/o The Club..
SYMPATHY: Sincere sympathy is offered to the families of the following who died recently – Bryan Barrett, Philadelphia and late of Tralee (former Club footballer of the late fifties/early sixties and eldest brother of current Club Committee member and former Chairman, Eddie); Bebe O’Mara (nee Barry), Woodlee and late of Clounalour (sister of former Club Chairman – the late Jimmy Barry); Seamus O’Mahony, Monavalley, (former Club PRO and Radio Kerry’s first Head of Sport, now continued by his son, Joe); Jimmy Hogan, Clogher and late of Coolruane, Lixnaw (one of the great Hurling fullbacks of his day and captain of Lixnaw’s Co. Championship winning team in 1954 – uncle of Damien and grand uncle of former Club players, Michael and TJ); Loretto Moriarty (nee Kiely), Cahills Park and late of Sligo and London; Maura Byrne (nee Niland), Derrymore East and late of The Square and Tuam.
